Matthew Williamson unveils worker bee-informed BRIT Award
Interior designer Matthew Williamson has created an amber-toned trophy for the 2026 BRIT Awards, which was designed to mark the ceremony being hosted in Manchester for the first time.
Williamson, who is a judge for this year's Dezeen Awards, wanted the statuettes to be connected to Manchester, which is his home town and is hosting the awards ceremony for the first time time year.
He took inspiration for the statuettes from the city of Manchester's logo, which features a worker bee.
"Whilst colour and pattern may have been a more predictable route for me, I wanted to pause, take stock and offer something truly personal to me," Williamson said.
"Above all, I wanted to ensure it connected to Manchester, the BRITs' new location and my hometown."
"Cast in a chic amber-toned resin, the statue resembles the golden honey of a worker bee, Manchester's logo symbolising the city's role during the industrial revolution and so much more."
Williamson placed the statuette on top of a globe – a motif that also features in the city of Manchester logo.
"The BRITs also represent the global reach of British music and so I designed the statue to sit on top of a globe," explained Williamson.
"I imagine each deserving winner will feel on top of the world as they receive their award and I cannot wait to see the trophy I designed being part of the celebrations on the night."
The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's music awards and were first held in 1977. Next year, the ceremony will take place in Manchester at the Populous-designed Co-op Live arena. It marks the first time the presentation has taken place outside London.
Since 1992, the organisation has chosen a different designer to create a unique statuette for the awards each year. Previously, the award trophies have been designed by artist Anish Kapoor, architect Zaha Hadid and designers Es Devlin and Yinka llori.
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